Joint lock



Patented Dec. 22, 1931 l, UNITED STATES THOMAS w. BELL, or TARKERSBURG, WEST VIBGINTA JOINT 1.00KV

Application filed December 15, 1930. Serial No.' 502,587.53V l I,

This invention aims to provide a novel oint for use on jars, stems, bits, and the like, which are used for drilling oil, gas or water wells, with cable tools.V Y

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, with parts in elevation;

Figure 2 is a transverse section;

Figure 3 is an elevation of the latch;

Figures 4 and 5 are transverse sections showing modifications.v A

The numerals 1 and 2 indicate members which are to be threaded together, such as tools, or rods used in well drilling. Each of the members '1 and 2 has a'portion 3 to receive a wrench. The lower member 2 has a tapered end pie-ceV 4 threaded into a socket 5 in the upper member 1.

A longitudinal opening or seat 6 is formed Y,

in the extremityjof the end piece 4 and is polygonal in cross section. An axial polygonal opening 7 is formed in the member 1 at the end of the socket 5 and is polygonal in cross section.

An elongated transverse slot 8 isformed in the member 1 and extends inwardly to the polygonal opening7. The slot 8 is located on' one side of the opening 7. On the opposite side of the opening 7 there is a bore 9 of small diameter. The-bore 9 does not extend entirely through the member 2, outwardly from the opening 7. The bore 9 is in alignment with` the upper endof the slot 8.

A polygonal locking' pin 10 slides'longi-r tudinally in the opening 7 and in theseat 6. The opening 7 and the seat 6 are so shaped with respect to the cross section of the locking pin l10 that vthe members land 2 cannot turn with respect to each Y-otheron the lock ing pin 10. Y f

A compression spring' 11 is locatedV in the opening 7. At its upper end, the compression spring 11 abuts againsty the member 1. At

its lower end, the compression spring` 11 en-A gages the locking pin'lO to hold the locking pin in the seat 6. There isa transverse hole`V 12 in the locking pin 10. l

The operator inserts a latch 14, provided at its outer end with an eye 15, into the slot 8 and into the hole 12 of the lockingl pin 10 and raises the locking pin until the latch 14 abuts against member 1 'at' the upperendof the slot 8.` Theo'perator then lshoves the latch 14 lengthwise, until its" inner end is received in thebore 9. This holds thelocking :Y j i `pin 10 out of engagement with the seat` 6. in *55 the end 5 ofthe member 2,1and themembers 1 and 2 maybe threaded apart or together. After the end 4 ofthe member 2V hasbeen threaded into the socket in the 'end of the member 2, the latch 14 is pulled out, and the 60 compression spring 1 1 causes the locking pin 10 to'enzgage in the seat 6,`thereby` holding .the members `1 and 2 against rotation.; Tf'the locking pin lO'd'oes not happen to engage in the seat 6, whenl the latch 14 is pulled 'O ut 65 a very small amount of relative rotationibetween themembers vl and 2 will permit the locking pini 10 to engagein the seat 65 I The lockingpin 10 in Figure 1 isfhexagonal A in cross secti'onfbut it might be' offsome V70 other polygonal cross section.' Thus', the locking pin 16 of Figure4fis'octagonal,'the hole, corresponding to the hole i12, being marked by th'enumeral 17. In Figure 5,`the pin y18 is square, the hole appearingat`l9. *75' By resorting to the use ,ofthedevice shown in this application, the joints do'not have to be tightened excessively, only natural shouldering being necessary, as the locking 4pin 10 holds the'joints perfectly so that it cannoteo turn or unscrew while drilling, thus eliminat-V 'ing the excessive strain put onjoints to keep them from unscrewing. `The life ofthe joints of the classj described, will be length-" ened three or `more times morethan ordinary, `*85 because no excessstrainis .put on them; -The vdevice-does awaywithmany expensive "fishi-V ing jobs', caused by breakage. v Itis! possible Y to use V"softsteel-pin'sland har'd'steel boxes,

andduse hard Vsteelp'ins andv softsteelv boxes, .ibo q and still have 'a` perfect fjoint, and one that yis, entirely safe.' Pulled* threads and cupped joints will be doneaway with therebylength-v ening the life of the'thre'ads.Y The structure can beused on anysizedtjoint, `straight erige tapered, withasolid center. 'Y

Some may prefer to do away with Vthe od'm-l pression spring 11, but by using this spring Vgreater. safety is insured, since the spring holds the locking pin firmly in p1ace,,so 11'05 "forming the subject matter of'ths applicay t tion is resorted to, the joint will not come'unscrewed, even 'though the parts yarenot threadedV together under' greatV strain and f tightly. f a

' f `The .diameter of thebore 9 is a smallA fraction' of Vther length of the slot 8, the bore 9-eX-` l being in line with the upper end of the slot, whereby when the 'locking pin is raised by the latch until thelatch arrives at the upper end of the slot, the upper end of the slot will guide the latch into the bore and hold the locking pin elevated and clear of the lower member, when the latch isfadvanced through thehole.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aliXe'd my signature.

THOMAS WQ BELL.

tending outwardly from the opening 7 ofthe i npper member ,1; rlhe transverse liole 12-of the locking pin l()y is of about the Vsame diameter as thebore 9, the distance between the'hole l2 and the lower end of the locking .pin l-O beingsuch that when the lower end of the locking pin l() engages'the bottom of'the opening 6i-n the lower member 2,V the lower vedge of the hole l2 will bein line with the 1 lower end ofthe slot 8, so that the lifting latch 14 'will be guided alongthe lower end of the slotr S'and'into the hole 12. VThe upper ,edge of the bore-9 is in line with the upper end of the slot 8, whereby when-the locking pin 10 is raised by the latch lll' until the latch '14 arrives at the upper endetl the slot v8, theupper end of the yslot 8 .will yguide the latch f 14: intothe bore l9y and hold the ylocking pin ;v

l0 elevated and' clear of the lower member 2, when the latch 14 is advanced .through the holelQ. Y

Having thus ,described the invention, what l isclaimed is:l

In a device of the class described,- upper .and'lower members threaded together and having polygonal openings inV their threaded ends, l the uppermember being provided with n Vanarrow longitudinal slot extended inwardf ly from'itsouter surface'to 4its opening, the

upper member being provided with a trans- Vv erse'bore the diameter 'of which Vis a small fraction `oi" the length of the slot, the bore erf- 'tendingoutwardly ifromthe Opening of Vthe @upper Ine 1nb.er,`-jand a polygonal loclring'pin held Vagainstl rotation in ,the Vopenings but longitudinally, slidable therein, out" of engagementfwith the lower n1ember,thelocleY l thersame diameter as the bore, the distance ingvpin-having a transverse hole of about .v

` between-the hole-and the lower endroit the lockingfpin'being such that when the lower end 0f the lockingpin engages the bottom of the opening inthe Alower member, .the lower f edge ofthe hole will be in line with thelower Y.

endof the slot, so'that a lifting latch' will be guided 'alongv the lower yend of the slot and linto the hole, the upper edge 'ot-the bore- 

